Scheduling for COVID-19 Updated Boosters for Children Ages Five and Older Now Available at Rite Aid and Bartell Drug Locations

Parents and guardians can visit Riteaid.com to schedule appointments for the updated booster as well as the flu shot; Health officials recommend getting up-to-date on COVID and Flu vaccinations by Halloween

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following FDA authorization and new CDC recommendations, Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD) locations, including Bartell Drugs in the Pacific Northwest, are now offering updated boosters of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children ages five years and older.

Both vaccines require that it has been at least two months since completion of primary COVID vaccination series or since receiving most recent booster dose. The updated boosters are designed to protect against the original strains and Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants which are more transmissible and immune-evading. Parents or guardians can schedule eligible children using Rite Aid’s online scheduler at www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/scheduler. Bartell Drugs customers can use the online scheduling tool linked here.

“Approval of the updated booster for our pediatric population allows us to continue to help our communities fight COVID-19,” said Karen Staniforth, Chief Pharmacy Officer at Rite Aid. “This vaccine will help restore protection that has waned since the previous dose. With cooler weather upon us and people gathering more indoors, we urge our communities to stay up-to-date on their vaccines to protect themselves and others.”

Appointments are based on vaccine availability. Children must be accompanied by an adult to their vaccine appointment. Customers may receive their updated booster dose at Rite Aid or Bartell Drugs regardless of where they received their primary series or previous booster(s). Updated booster doses can be mixed and matched with primary vaccination series and previous boosters meaning customers can get either brand of the updated booster no matter which brand had been previously administered. Primary vaccination series are encouraged for customers, if not already received.

In addition to staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, Rite also recommends customers schedule their flu shot which can be received at the same time as the updated COVID booster. The CDC recommends everyone six months of age and older receive a flu vaccine each season with rare exception, and this year the agency is encouraging everyone to get their vaccination by Halloween to be prepared for flu season.

About Rite Aid Corporation

Rite Aid is a full-service pharmacy that improves health outcomes. Rite Aid is defining the modern pharmacy by meeting customer needs with a wide range of vehicles that offer convenience, including retail and delivery pharmacy, as well as services offered through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Elixir, Bartell Drugs and Health Dialog. Elixir, Rite Aid’s pharmacy benefits and services company, consists of accredited mail and specialty pharmacies, prescription discount programs and an industry leading adjudication platform to offer superior member experience and cost savings. Health Dialog provides healthcare coaching and disease management services via live online and phone health services. Regional chain Bartell Drugs has supported the health and wellness needs in the Seattle area for more than 130 years. Rite Aid employs more than 6,300 pharmacists and operates more than 2,300 retail pharmacy locations across 17 states. For more information, visit www.riteaid.com.